As the world goes in circles, so do the styles we adopt. The fashion world goes in cycles, and each brings with it a brand-new set of trends. For every decorative sock that lasts a decade, there is a big red boot that thankfully dies out quickly.
The Spring of 2024 brings with it a particular theme for the new season. It is a season of throwbacks.
Grab your vinyl, rewind your tapes, and turn on the clapper; this season is all about reviving past decades.
Dressing Old Is New This Spring
In the last few years, we have seen fashion progress further and further. Every once in a while, providing new takes on something from the olden days. Most of the time, it is driven by the movies and TV shows we watch.
- “Peaky Blinders” reminded us how incredible and intimidating the undercut was before we started wearing it again.
- “Stranger Things” gave us all fits of nostalgia with the 80s awesomeness and caused the return of the denim jacket with a vengeance.
- “Yellowstone” shines a bright light on just how manly workwear is, causing us to begin wearing Carhartt coats and vests like we're driving cattle.
This Spring, all of that continues as the 90s are going to be particularly pillaged. You'll see a collection of throwbacks your grandfather and father rocked. If you're lucky, you can raid their closets for some gems.
The 70s Knit And Crocheted Polos Are Back
One of the first things you will see this season is the throwback look of the vintage polos.
Of course, it all started last year when the British brand Percival became the talk of the town for Hollywood celebs. Everyone from Ryan Reynolds and Chris Evans to Dwayne Johnson and Kit Harrington sported the brand's throwback button-down knit polos.
It takes a while for trends to reach the New World sometimes, and this season, America will blow the trend up even further with button-down polos that will make you feel like a superhero.
80s Love Of Denim Is On The Rebound
In the days of hair bands and cheezy action movies, jean jackets were the rage.
Bon Jovi, AC/DC, and others sported them all over the stage and screen. Action heroes like Mel Gibson used them to show off their masculinity in apocalyptic worlds or on the streets of LA.
They were a sign of the time's rebellion, and it looks as though we as a society are ready for the uprising again as the denim jacket is back with a vengeance. Expect to see people wearing them in casual and elevated situations.
The Return Of The Pleat Strengthens This Spring
Pleats were all the rage in the mid-20th century. Even the Army uniform included pleated pants. They then became the things of older adults and nerds in the nineties and all but disappeared.
The only people that wore them were the guys with big thighs and tiny waists. A function more than a fashion. Thanks to the year of the throwback, pleats are coming back.
Tailor and brand owner Sid Mashburn addressed the resurgence of the pleat with a bit of rebellious psychology. “Back then, pleated pants were pretty prevalent, and most of what was worn I would consider ‘your father's plated pants' – big and billowy,” he said.
“In the decade since, plain-front pants have become the norm, so now it almost feels punk rock to wear pleats.”
Expect to see your favorite celebrities and fashion models rocking the pleats like it is 1957 all over again. We should put on the Beatles while we're at it.
Bring Back The Oxford Button-Down Shirt
Speaking of bringing back something from your ancestors, the Oxford shirt is back.
From the Ivy League campuses to the 80s Wall Street, the button-down collar has a long history of elevated status. It continued its popularity throughout the 90s. Only to fall on hard times at the turn of the century.
Sometime after Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears broke up, the Oxford became exclusive to older men and sports shirts. They became remnants of a time long forgotten.
Lucky for us, this year will see a resurgence of another 80s and 90s staple, the button-down. JT and Britney are probably hopeless.
Brad Pitt May Be Your Style Inspiration With The Bucket Hat
Remember what we said earlier? That movies dictate the fashion comebacks.
Well, sometimes it is the actor who can't let go of the fashion item they sport in the film. In this case, the bucket hat is about to burst onto the scene.
Brad Pitt wore a bucket hat in his hit from last summer, “Bullet Train.” It was a part of his character, making him appear more disarming. Now, you see him everywhere wearing that hat.
And the populace is nothing if not in tune with what the world's biggest names are wearing. So get ready to pick up a bucket hat because every store in the world will be ready to capitalize on the power of Brad Pitt.
Spring 2024 Is Bringing Baggy Back
At some point, following Y2K, clothes began to shrink. Gone were the days of the baggy sweaters (Dawson and Pacey taught us all how cool those were).
We waved goodbye to the wide-leg pants (even the skaters reluctantly parted ways). And we embraced the slimmer, more put-together-looking silhouettes of the 2000s.
Of course, fashion is a process, and once something gets started, it has to keep going. Jeans, shirts, suits, everything got slimmer and slimmer. It began to get so bad that we had to start wrapping ourselves in our clothes like plastic wrap as opposed to wearing them.
Thankfully, we have come to our senses as a society, and the world is getting more relaxed. Jeans are wider, sweaters are more oversized, and suits are roomier. James Van Der Beek is jumping for joy.
Square-Toes Are Back
The square-toed shoes. These were some of the most celebrated dismissals from our closets when the tides of fashion turned with the century.
Whether you were selling Kias or serving breadsticks at Olive Garden, it seemed the squared-toe slip-ons were the go-to shoe.
We then moved to the extreme opposite pointed toe that looked perfect for the Wicked Witch. Then spent a decade rounding them off little by little until the square is the logical next step, which happened last year.
Avidan Grossman of GQ predicts 2024 is the time to see them again. “In 2023, luxury powerhouses like Prada and Marni, along with zeitgeisty labels like Martine Rose and Our Legacy, transformed the once-hapless silhouette into a just-left-field-enough flex. Expect to see a lot more of it this year.”
Colors Are Getting More Muted And Old-School
Colors have always been a way to express ourselves. Whether blue brings out our eyes or teal makes us feel more playful, it has always been a fun way to show who we are.
Of course, we can go overboard, and we always seem to. As colors got more outlandish, the fashion world began preparing for the inevitable reset. And it is here in 2024 that the reset button is primed to push us back to the 60s and 70s.
Leading color of the year authority, Pantone, says the color for Spring 2024 is 13-1023. That is Peach Fuzz if you don't have it memorized. It is a softer color, harkening back to Marsha Brady and the walls and floors of our grandmother's home.
Executive Director of Pantone, Leatrice Eiseman, says the color “echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection” and “resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless.”
Combine that with the burnt orange and avocado greens we're seeing from retailers, and we might have to watch “Smokey and the Bandit” again.
Length Will Be Crucial
Length has always been a funny thing. Back in the 90s, you got made fun of if your pants were too short. You wouldn't be caught dead wearing high waters.
Then, it became cool to wear shorter pants. Either to show off your vibrant and crazy socks or to show you're too cool for them altogether.
Now, length is a conversation again. Only in multiple places and heading in different directions.
- Men's shorts keep the same trend as last season, and we're ditching the long shorts for the 5″ or the 7″ options.
- We're seeing more and more men crop their shirts. You worked hard on those abs this off-season. Show them off the way rockers did in the 80s.
- Suit jackets are getting longer again. Be ready for length to return to the middle of the fingers again, abandoning the shorter look.
- The same goes for the coats. We're not saying everyone will be in trench coats again like it's the 1940s. But it wouldn't be a stretch.
Workwear Is Clocking Out For Spring
Finally, “Yellowstone” did it. It solidified the return of workwear.
Carhartt coats.
Canvas vests.
And even the good ol' 90s carpenter jeans are on the way back.
If you are a fan of the rugged aesthetic and have been missing your blue-collar glory, now's the time.
Spring 2024 is a season for nostalgia and remembering the things we loved in the past. It is also about taking the past and bringing it to today with a better look and feel.
Adopt any of these looks without looking outdated, and you will be the stylish man in your group.
Read next: Old Money Aesthetic: How To Dress Rich And Look Stylish
